Mercy
by NameBrandSnacks
Summary: What if the Deputy spared John in the end. (Hope County Citizen!Reader/John Seed)
1. Finding Him

He was there, just sprawled out across the ground. You watched as the Deputy marched off towards God knows where, carrying a key. You had no idea what it was for or what it went to. Eyes moving from them back to John. Lying there, all alone, just the thought of skinning him and wearing his skin as an animal pelt sent chills up your spine. The man the cultists believed was their messenger, though you believed he had some _serious_ problems.

You cautiously approached him, survival training kicking in again when you saw his chest moving up and down very slow. The youngest Seed was still alive, giving the idea of skinning him even greater pleasure. Moving in close, you stood above him. He had taken your family, all in Joseph's name. Called them sinners, he slayed your mother and father, then took your home as a cult outpost. He forced you to flee into the woods-you'd rather be homeless than live like some brain-dead cultist.

You spent days, which turned to weeks, which turned to months all alone. Hiding from predator animals, hunting and skinning deer and anything small for a meal with your father's old recurve bow, freezing cold, never a chance to bathe for fear of the Bliss drug plaguing the waters. John Seed had taken away everyone you loved dearly, and now here he was, helpless, alone, and at your mercy.

Coughing brought you out of your anger fog, seeing that your fingers had found their way around his neck, choking him, but not enough to take his life just yet. No, killing him would be too easy. Even if you did, in the end you knew nothing would change, nothing would feel any better. You feel a familiar wetness on your cheeks as the memories from that night came flooding back, knelt over him, softly crying like the scared little girl you were that moment.

"John Seed…" you choke on his name, "I give you _mercy_."

Loosening your grip, you move around, standing by his head and grabbing his arms from underneath. Now all you had to do was drag him back to your camp nestled in the woods. You silently prayed to God if that was what he wanted you to do, or if the animals got him, then so be it, you'd run like hell to avoid getting mauled by a bear or cougar.

Your camp was only twenty minutes away, but it felt like hours. John wasn't dead yet, but if you couldn't throw together some sort of medicine for those wounds he wouldn't last the night. Moving him close to the fire, you mixed together the same remedy from the black bear attack you narrowly survived about three weeks ago. It wasn't yours, but belonged to the woman who rescued you. She taught it to you before disappearing off towards the Whitetail Mountains. Such a strange woman but a friend if only for a short time, and you missed her.

"If you die after I use this, then it was just a waste of time bringing you here." you mumble through your teeth, hoping he heard you while you mixed ingredients.

 _"You're an angel-"_

You perk up, his voice was barely audible. "Say what?"

"You're an angel… with an amber halo…"

"You're hallucinating, too much blood loss. Just shut up, I have water, and some leftover deer meat." If he didn't shut up you were going to sock him in the jaw. He had probably lost his mind already, you weren't equipped to deal with this lunatic.

John was silent after a while, you checked on him while applying the medicine to his wounds. 'Still breathing.' you thought. If he survived he was under your watch and care, if God thought this was funny, you _weren't_ laughing.

When he was strong enough to walk, you'd tie up his hands and lead him to the nearest cult roadblock, hoping they'd take back their herald and not shoot you dead on sight. A groan escaped his lips, "Why?"

"I'm showing you mercy, what you didn't show my parents that night. After everything you've done, the Deputy didn't kill you, I could have, but I didn't. And here we are." Your words were cold, "God told me to show you mercy, and when I take you back to your followers.. I hope you can show me the same mercy I've shown you."

That shut him up, leaving you to bring him water and cooked deer meat from the campfire. The sun would begin to rise in several hours, and a distant explosion scared you. With the Dep on the move, you were sure they caused it. He was asleep by now, leaving you alone with your thoughts again. God, was he really watching, was he there? You weren't the most religious person in your family, but your father said to have some faith, things would turn out for the better. And now you were apparently John Seed's personal angel.


	2. Moving On

It was light now and you glanced over to John, seeing him writhe around slightly, mumbling something in his sleep. You thought your heard him say his brothers' names, but kept that to yourself. Eventually he awoke, rather sweaty and unsure of where he was.

"Where am I? What's going on?" he asks, pulling at the bear pelt blanket that was wrapped around him.

You moved over to him without much effort, pressing a handmade knife made out of animal bone to his throat. "Relax, or you'll make those wounds bleed again." you utter.

"Is the knife necessary?" he asks, shying away from the blade.

"Why yes, just because I saved you, doesn't mean I actually like you. Remember?"

"Then what do you want from me?"

"That's none of your business. But, here's the plan: I walk you to the nearest cult roadblock, hand you over… semi-unharmed, and then you run along with your followers and let me live in peace. Got it?" you move the knife away from him.

"Sure, whatever."

"Peachy-keen. Can you walk?" you spoke. He nods, and you grab the blanket before hauling him to his feet. He noticed his wrists were tied, brushing it off for now.

"How long was I asleep?" John asks as she led him through the woods.

"Eighteen hours, _and_ you were even out when a grizzly attacked the camp. Made short work of it, and that's where that blanket came from." you grin. He said nothing, letting you guide him over the terrain. He suddenly stops, glancing around.

"I think I know where we are, my ranch is around here somewhere."

"You mean a cult outpost. I said roadblock, not a place crawling with Peggies. I'll be turned into Swiss cheese with those mounted guns before I even reach the tree line." you growl.

John chuckles, it made your skin crawl. "You're with me, and you'll be fine. Besides, I think it's my turn to return the hospitality you showed me."

"And it'll end how? A bullet, being bled like a stuck pig, or worse: turned into one of those cultists drugged out on Bliss, those Angels?"

"You look like you could use a good meal, and a shower. No offence, sweetheart, but you smell like a dead bear's ass." He was taunting you now, just by the sound of his voice.

"Fine, but this isn't me trusting you, you screw me over and I'll.. I'll.. I'll figure something out before I'm dead." you hiss.

"You done?"

"Lead on, creep."


End file.
